Sinn Féin - On Your Side

Chronic teacher shortage is alarming – Carol Nolan TD

Offaly Sinn Fein TD, former teacher and principal, Carol Nolan has
slammed the government for the current shortage of qualified teachers in some
subject areas in addition to the chronic shortage of substitute teachers in
primary and secondary schools.

Deputy Nolan said:

“There has been a significant brain drain from our schools with young
teachers choosing to avail of secure jobs abroad instead of casual part-time
work here.

“Why would graduates remain here with an unequal pay system, difficulty
securing a permanent position and a high cost of living, especially in our
cities, when they can avail of secure positions and better pay and conditions abroad?”

The Education and Training boards Ireland are reporting a serious
shortage of teachers in some subject areas which are resulting in students
having no qualified teacher in specific subjects for months on end.

Deputy Nolan continued:

“It is alarming that students sitting their Leaving Certificate may have
to sit an exam in a subject where they have received inadequate and incomplete
teaching due to the shortage.

“Principals of both Primary and Secondary schools have been highlighting
other issues such as the shortage of substitute teachers for some time now and
these concerns have gone unanswered, these concerns must be addressed without
delay.

"The response from the Department of Education that there is no shortage
of teachers is frankly unbelievable.

“This is much more than a pinch point for schools who have revealed that
there are vacancies for teaching posts for which they have never received an
application, despite advertising the positions several times, it is simply not
good enough that the Minister for Education and his department refuse to
acknowledge this crisis.

“The Minister needs to address these issues urgently both in the long and
short term before more of our children are forced to sit state exams for which
they are wholly unprepared as a direct result of the crisis.”